What to Do If Sales and Marketing Do Not Get Along
A Strategic Approach to Aligning Two Essential Functions
When sales and marketing do not get along and fail to collaborate effectively, the fallout isn’t just internal dysfunction — it’s a direct threat to revenue growth, customer experience, and long-term business success. Despite having a shared goal to drive profitable revenue growth misalignment between sales and marketing is all too common. Whether it manifests as finger-pointing over unqualified leads, inconsistent messaging, or siloed strategies, the result is friction that undermines results.
Steps to Take If Sales and Marketing Do Not Get Along
If you find yourself frustrated by sales and marketing dysfunction, the good news is that we know from project postmortem results that it is fixable. But alignment requires more than a feel-good strategy retreat. True cross-functional synergy starts with strategic clarity, cultural connection, and leadership commitment.
- Diagnose the Root Cause of the Disconnect
We know from change management simulation data that before jumping into solutions, leaders must do a current state analysis to understand why sales and marketing aren’t working well together. The most common culprits include:
Misaligned Goals and KPIs
We know from organizational alignment research that strategic clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing teams. For example, if marketing is focused solely on brand awareness and lead volume while sales is judged on revenue, the conflicting success metrics will drive divergent behaviors.
Unclear Handoff Processes
We know from sales management training that when there is no shared definition of a “qualified lead,” the baton pass from marketing to sales will always create frustration with sales complaining about weak leads and marketing complaining about sales efficacy.
Cultural and Strategic Divides
We know from corporate culture assessment data that sales teams often view marketers as out-of-touch with competitive pressures and on-the-ground customer wants and needs. We also know from business sales training that marketers often see sales as transactional and short-term focused. If sales and marketing are not on the same page, strategic synergies become diluted.
Lack of Communication and Feedback Loops
We know from communication skills training that a lack of team trust can limit communication, constructive debate, and feedback — all of which are required for teams to reach shared goals together. - Align Sales and Marketing Around a Shared Revenue Strategy
To shift from silos and blame to team interdependence and collaboration, strategic alignment and commitment is required in the areas of:
— Unique value proposition.
— Ideal target client profile.
— Goals and accountabilities.
— Roles and responsibilities.
— Strategy success metrics.
— Joint go-to-market plan.
— Sales playbook.
— Cadence of accountability.
It’s not about forcing one team to serve the other. The goal is co-ownership of a unified revenue engine while shifting from isolated goals to integrated strategies. At a minimum, you must set clear standards for what constitutes a qualified lead, how quickly sales must follow up, and how feedback will be looped back to marketing. - Foster a Culture of Mutual Respect and Accountability
Sales strategies must go through your sales culture and people to be successfully executed. Even the best sales strategy falls flat without consistent leadership and cultural reinforcement. Leaders need to model and instill a sales-driven culture along with a mindset of mutual trust and respect by celebrating joint wins, facilitating regular cross-functional meetings, and building an appreciation for each other’s work.
Just as important: hold both teams accountable when collaboration breaks down. It’s not “sales vs. marketing” — it’s the organization vs. missed opportunity. - Engage Leadership as the Catalyst
Finally, executive sponsorship is non-negotiable. Without active involvement from senior leaders — ideally the CEO, CRO, and CMO — efforts will stall. The senior leadership team must clearly articulate the strategic imperative of alignment, guide teams toward common ground, and invest in cross-functional development and coaching. This isn’t about forcing peace; it’s about collaboration and shared solution selling results being the default — not the exception.
If senior leaders cannot play well together, it is time to look for a different team members.
The Bottom Line
When sales and marketing do not get along, customers, employees, and business performance pay the price. Intrateam dysfunction should not be tolerated. Diagnose the root cause, get aligned on shared revenue goals, and create a cadence of accountability to foster a culture of collaboration that drives meaningful business outcomes.
To learn more about how to get aligned, download our Latest Organizational Alignment Whitepaper